Els Caçadors

The story

Els Caçadors: Michelin Bib Gourmand Catalan Restaurant in Ceret, France

A mountain restaurant with a Catalan soul

Set in the leafy outskirts of Maçanet de Cabrenys, just a few kilometres from the French border, Els Caçadors is both a hotel and a restaurant that has earned a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide for its good quality, good value cooking. Chef Santi Valls Xicoira brings a quietly international perspective to the kitchen – he trained under Juan Mari Arzak, then worked at Relais & Châteaux Manoir Hovey in Canada and later in Asia, where he picked up techniques that he now applies to local, seasonal ingredients.

Cooking that respects the land and sea

The menu is rooted in traditional Catalan cuisine, with preparations that let the produce speak. Valls Xicoira sources fish from the Costa Brava, prawns from Palamós, rice from Pals, and beef from Girona. The spring menu, for example, offers a creamy Pals rice with cuttlefish and Palamós prawn (minimum two persons), grilled turbot with its garnish, and a Girona beef steak tartar with three mustards. There are also classic touches like anchovies from L’Escala, and a carpaccio of pig’s trotter with a nut and tomato vinaigrette.

A place to linger

The restaurant is part of the Hotel Gastronòmic Els Caçadors, so the atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried. Diners can sit outdoors in the warmer months, and the wine list leans heavily on the Empordà Denomination of Origin, with additional nods to DO Priorat and DO Penedès. It’s the kind of place where a meal becomes a slow, satisfying exploration of the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean – without any fuss.